a-dark murky brown with shades of dark ruby when light passes through
s-smells like whiskey right off and then some apple and coffee
t- taste kinda like the smell but not as strong by any means, kinda let down by the taste
m-tingles from the start to middle of the drink and then a wet finish
overall its ok nothing special, expected a little more from it i guess since its doing the whole whiskey barrel thing
i probably wont be buying this but i wanna try there dipa's

Got a 4 pack of this that I split w/ my friend Passow when we went to The Fiery Foods Festival in Columbus on Presidents Day Weekend. Bought this at the beer stand in The North marker, which is where the festival was happening too. Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into my mug. This beer pours a medium to dark, hazy copper/amber color. Much lighter than all the other porters I have ever had before this one. The off-white head is about 1/4 inch when poured before settling to a nice thick ring lining the inside of the glass along with a decent surface coating. Decent lacing. Aromas of oak and vanilla, along with a bit of dark fruit is present, perhaps with some undertones of roasted chocolate and coffee, but these aromas are not in the forefront as they usually are and probably should be for a beer of this style. Flavor wise the vanilla and oak certainly dominate, followed by some dark fruits such as fig and plum, and is rounded out with small hints of malt, chocolate, and roasted coffee. No discernible hops, not even a trace. A very odd flavor profile indeed for this porter. Has a crisp and smooth, fairly thin bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Easy to drink in the way good beer should be. Not a bad beer, but not what I was expecting with the odd flavor profile and a body that is definitely to thin for what a porter should be.

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottle provided as a generous extra by normyk, thanks Rob!

A - Pours a soda-colored brown that completes the look with a small, 1-fingered, light khaki-tinted head. Retention is low but leaves a thick ring around the sides of the glass. Lacing is modest, but thin and spattered.

S - The two dominant smells in the nose are whiskey and vanilla. It's hard to get much of the base beer underneath the barrel, but there is some evidence of coffee and chocolate. For the most part, it smells basically just like whiskey.

T - The taste is a bit more balanced than the nose; given the aroma I was expecting a ton of whiskey and alcohol heat, but the liquor is kept in check nicely. The oak barrel really makes an appearance here as well, imparting wood and vanilla notes. Given the striking appearance to soda, the taste actually has a pop-like quality to it as well due to the mouthfeel and vanilla, almost like Vanilla Cola with a whiskey mixer. Some light chocolate plays on the tongue in the finish, but the coffee roast from the nose is suspiciously absent. Finish is moderately short with a whiskey, watery feel.

M - As this was my first barrel-aged porter, I was sure what to expect given a porter's tendency to be a bit thinner and watery than stouts in my experience, and it certainly gives this beer a new feel. It honestly feels and has a bit of taste like soda due to the thin mouthfeel, moderate carbonation, and a flavor combination in the taste.

D - Drinkability is moderately high. Although the flavors aren't revolutionary or incredibly bold, I found this beer quite easy to drink. I think the thin mouthfeel is a double-edged sword here; on one hand, being a big fan of whiskey in general, this reminded me of just a straight glass of liquor with a bit of water in it to cut the harshness, but it's also incredibly smooth as well. Conversely, I think stouts are more popular for barrel-aging specifically because of their more robust body that takes the whiskey barrel to a new level. I can honestly say though, despite (or because of?) the weak feel, this is one of the easiest drinking barrel-aged beers I've come across and I would've loved this as an introduction to what barrels can do to beer (instead of my trial-by-fire with Weyerbacher's Insanity)...

Mouthfeel is thin, almost watery, tannic mouth coating that is a little drying.

Interesting, not picking up on the porter aspect, basicly a whiskey bomb. A bit one dimensional, which frankly is difficult in my opinion with barrel aged beers. Glad I got a chance to try it, but probably won't seek it out again.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip. Received in the Birthday BIF from normyk; thanks Rob!

a - Pours a very dark brown color with one inch of tan head and light carbonation evident. No head retention and no lacing on the glass.

s - Smells of whiskey, oak, roasted malts, light vanilla, toasted malts, and light chocolate. Whiskey is there in the front of the nose, but it's not overpowering at all.

t - Tastes of whiskey, vanilla, oak, roasted malts, and dark fruits. Tastes a little watered down to me. Again, the whiskey is not overpowering here.

m - Pretty light body for a porter and low carbonation. Smooth and easy to drink.

d - Overall I thought this was a pretty good porter. I thought it was very drinkable and the whiskey is there, but never overpowering. If you find other barrel aged beers too much, you might really like this one. Would have again.

T: Roasted malt is pretty prominent here, with a bit of dark fruit. Nice whiskey and oak tones once again; nothing too overpowering, all are simply nice touches that enable a full enjoyment of the other flavors.

Pours from a 12oz bottle into a standard issue hotel glass. The beer emerges very dark in color similar to that of Pepsi or Coke. Actually, the head is about the same size as one present on a soda; small and wispy. No lacing.

There is some nice whiskey aromas. Loaded with vanilla and a touch of woody oakiness. For being a robust porter, I get no robust nose. There is a lack of any roastiness. The nose is basically filled with the whiskey notes.

Big whiskey flavors as well. Again, the underlying porter is hidden and everything is masked by the whiskey. The whiskey isnt necessarily overdone, but the porter underneath is hard to detect. Actually, as the beer warms, the whiskey is about all there is to this one.

I liked the beer but this wasnt anything outrageous or mindblowing. I like the vanilla and whiskey notes in the beer but at times, the whiskey becomes overbearing.

T - Chocolate from the roasted malts comes first with whiskey, oak and vanilla taking a center role as well. The flavors suggest raisins, marshmallow and caramel. Little to no alcohol burn.

M - Slightly light on the mouthfeel, so that's probably where this really differentiates between a stout and a porter, because otherwise there's no reason that this wouldn't be at least a regular stout if not an Imperial.

D - Although this is lower ABV than many -bal aged beers it remains unparalleled in this category due to it's refreshing mouthfeel and lack of alcohol burn. A definite recommendation if you run across it.

Picked this up in 4-pack form... Just released on 01/07/11 with a happy hour release at the pub... Had this in snifter, because that is what I drink a lot of my beer from, and also direct from the bottle... I am a sucker for a barrel aged beer and this being aged for 3 months in Jack Daniels barrels made it even better... Poured a very dark brown with an ok head and the nose on this, for me, was amazing... Had a good raosted taste with hints of vanilla and bourbon coming after the mild coffee and chocolate that one would expect with a Porter... Overall I would recommend this beer to anyone visiting the Columbus area that likes Porters or barrel aged brews...

12 ounce bottle (from a 4-pack), I assume it's a new batch since a bunch of it came to the store just the other day. Served in a Dogfish Head Signature glass, the beer pours dark brown with about an inch tan head that went away quickly. There's a good amount of lacing left on the glass. Aroma is whiskey, wood, roasted malt, and vanilla. Nice sweet, woody aroma. The brew tastes like vanilla, whiskey, wood, roasted malt, and some chocolate. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and slick, with moderate carbonation. Drinkability is good, it's smooth and easy enough to drink. I think it's a good brew, I'd definitely buy this again in the future. It's good to see Elevator bottling a lot of their beers, it's nice to see a decent selection of their products around town.

A- Pours jet black with a finger of fizzy brown head that quickly rises and then disappears as fast as it came. No lacing to speak of.

S- Strong hints of whiskey, especially as it warms along with notes of chocolate and vanilla. A bit of roastiness as well to it, but the whiskey dominates.

T- It's nearly like sipping straight whiskey. Notes of vanilla really help to play up the whiskey taste, a tad bitter and roasted. Decent flavor overall, but the whiskey seems to dominate this one a little too much.

M- Light-medium body, a little thinner than what I was expecting. Good amounts of carbonation, not surprising given the type of head that it had on it.

D- Good. ABV seemed to catch up to me a little quicker than anticipated, but it's a pretty smooth beer despite the high amounts of whiskey flavor (I am a fan of whiskey though). Very interesting beers. Thanks again Socekim12
!

Poured from a 12 oz bottle I snagged in Columbus where this brewery is located. Had in a pint glass. Is a dark brown, and pours highly carbonated. The tan head fizzes away like a cola, leaving a slick of swirled tan.

Smelled slightly sour while fizzing. After it calmed down, it had a honey/molasses smell, with vanilla underneath.

Has a mildly sweet taste, some carbonation gives it some bite. Malt and barley dominate, and leave the tongue feeling dry and tingly. The bottle claims this beer is aged in whiskey barrels, and I taste a faint alcohol/whiskey taste underneath. The excessive carbonation, however, takes away from the taste.

Medium bodied, about average for a porter.

I'd have this again, but only after letting it breathe so the carbonation can bleed out.

Pours a very dark black with some mohagony hints with a very light brown head and no lacing. Nose is wonderful, lots of oak and vanilla, quite sweet and malty but still very fresh. A tiny bit of booze but it's very subtle.

Taste is sharp with some smoky whisky notes, the taste is a bit light but this is a porter not a stout. There's more vanilla and chewy malt as well. Carbonation is fine and sharp. Very easy drnking for what it is!

A = Very pretty dark ruby as it pours but a much darker mahogany with red oak tints at the edges once it is in the glass, very small off white head of small bubbles forms quickly and leaves almost as fast leaving only a slight ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass and a nice steady carbonation bubbling up to keep it in place.

S & T = Hints of vanilla, cocoa powder, oak, very nice smells but a bit on the light side. This tastes very nice, with the same things picked up in the smell being prominent in the taste. If it had as much smell as taste it would have garnered higher scores. It is almost like a chocolate malt shake but not quite as milky creamy.

M = Good thick body that is cut somewhat by the carbonation. At the front of the mouth I find the sting of carbonation a bit too strong, but that calms down quickly and I must admit by the time I swallow, it is creamy and has done a very good job of mouthcoating, leaving a very long, sweet finish.

D = This is an enjoyable beer for sure. Not sure more than one at a sitting would be up my alley, but I could definitely enjoy this again sometime.

Poured the 12 oz bottle into an oversized red wine glass to capture the aroma.
A: Reddish-brown, which is a lot lighter than I expected. It poured with a medium, dense tan head that died to a simple lace (with no film).
S: Caramel, oak, bourbon and brandy intertwined, some sweet malt, some roasted and charred malts, and blackberries, in that order of significance. It is a very good mix.
T: Blackberries at first, with oak and bourbon vanilla alcohol, and then caramel and other roasted/charred malts come in afterward and linger. The bourbon is surprisingly mild; it is not the star role and I like it that way. This is a really well-balanced, delicate beer.
M: Only slightly syrupy and mildly carbonated, which I would usually dock points for, but it goes really well with this particular beer.
D: Better than average for a barrel-aged porter.

EDIT live review on 03/21/11:
A: Head was much bigger with a warmer pour. Good lacing.
S: Some molasses throughout. Pretty decent.
T: The beer is easy-drinking, but not quite as flavorful or robust as I'd like. I docked some points.
M: Thinner, with a frothy carbonation. I docked points for the mouthfeel.
O: Decent. Nothing to write home about.

Elevator recently started bottling this beer, here's my first non-draft review of an Elevator beer. Available in 4-packs, about $10 in Columbus.

The beer is dark ruby reddish brown with a thin off-white foam that never quite dissipates away. The aroma is mild oak barrel, vanilla flavors mostly, along with some lightly roasted malts. This beer is tasty, bitter and sweet malts, roasty and toasty, long after-taste of vanilla. The body is much thinner than you'd expect from a barrel-aged dark beer, but this is a porter after all. Light carbonation gives a little pepper to the mouthfeel, otherwise light and easy to drink.

An excellent example of local beer in Columbus, and I'm looking forward to seeing other beers from them in bottles.

A- Looks really clear and rusty brown on the pour. A sizable fluffy greyish white head is coaxed out but slowly dissapears. The beer is totally black in the glass.

S- Plenty of whiskey on the nose. There is also vanilla, oak, chocolate and dark fruits.

T- The vanilla and chocolate of the porter is well in front of the whiskey. The whiskey and oak rear their heads from time to time, peeking in here and there. This is quite good with lots of complexities from lots of vanilla to some dark fruit and whiskey barrels. I just wish some aspects were stronger.

M- Lots of carbonation. The body is on the light side for the style. I could tell it was going to be from the pour.

D- The higher alcohol is no problem here. This is a very enjoyable beer. Im glad Elevator is bottling this and that it can be found around Columbus easily.

Thanks to Csmiley for sending this one out to me bottle poured into a tulip glass produced a small off white head that turned into a thin lace. The body of the brew was a typical black stout color with burgundy highlights'

It had a nice whisky aromas that just won't quit there is also some great dark fruits as it warms. Before I get to the flavors the only real hit I will give it is that it is a tad light for its mouth feel. The flavor of warming alcohol and nice barrel aged whisky dominate this one. With just the right amount of sweetness from the malts to keep this extremely drinkable.

I was real glad I got to drink this one and I will say that I wish I had another I probably would have drank it right after this one.

pours a very light black, or more so a very dark reddish brown with a simi-tan white head. Left minimal lacing. Lightest colored porter I've seen.

Smell is at first dark fruits, much like a red ale of some sort, and then, a lot of chocolaty smells.

taste is the same as well with more of a chocolate presence and more fruit complexities of berries, figs, and prunes. Vanilla is a dominating flavor in this, too. Some oak in there as well. Beer begins to warm the palate about half way through.

Very drinkable as well

Lot of different flavors accented in this beer, especially the darker fruits and vanilla. Seemed almost borderline Irish red ale to me if the just subtracted the darker malts. Still, an enjoyable beer, and would drink again if given the opportunity to buy another.

Flavor: More vanilla and chocolate notes. Just a hint of roasted coffee flavors and a little bit of wood and leather round out the finish. Balance is to the bitterness and finish is clean and dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with high carbonation. A bit prickly on the palate and nice warming alcohol notes.

Overall impression: A well blended barrel-aged robust porter. I liked the fact that this was a barrel aged beer that still had beer character. Too many beers get lost in the wood aging but this had a wonderful porter character to complement the barrel aging. Nicely done!